[Mission 2023] Insights SECURE SYNOPSIS: 6 June 2023

NOTE: Please remember that following ‘answers’ are NOT ‘model answers’. They are NOT synopsis too if we go by definition of the term. What we are providing is content that both meets demand of the question and at the same

General Studies – 1

Topic: History of the world will include events from 18th century such as industrial revolution, world wars, redrawal of national boundaries, colonization, decolonization, political philosophies like communism, capitalism, socialism etc.— their forms and effect on the society.

1. The mid-18th century in Britain witnessed the confluence of several factors that set the stage for the rise of the Industrial Revolution. Discuss. (250 words)

Difficulty level: Easy

Reference: Insights on India

Why the question:

The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 1.

Key Demand of the question:

To write about reasons for rise of Industrial revolution in England.

Directive word: 

Discuss – This is an all-encompassing directive – you must debate on paper by going through the details of the issues concerned by examining each one of them. You must give reasons for both for and against arguments.

Structure of the answer:

Introduction: 

Start by defining Industrial Revolution.

Body:

In detail, write about the reasons for rise of Industrial revolution in England – Agricultural changes, Population boom, Economic innovations, new ideas and a scientific viewpoint, Transportation foundations, Natural resources, supportive government and numerous colonies.

Conclusion:

Summarize how all the above factors converged to start the revolution in England.

Introduction

The Industrial Revolution saw a rapid development of industry take place in Britain in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, soon spreading to Western Europe and North America. New and improved large-scale production methods and machinery marked the beginnings of Industrialization. Many different factors contributed to the rise of the Industrial Revolution in Britain and paved the way for Britain to become an industry-driven country.

Body

Major factors leading to rise of industrial revolution

• Agriculture
  • As a supplier of raw materials, the agricultural sector was closely linked to the industrial; this was the main source of occupation for the British population.
  • Half of the arable land had been enclosed, while half remained in the medieval open field system.
• Industry
  • Most industries were small scale, domestic and local, but traditional industries could meet the domestic demands.
  • There was some inter-regional trade, but this was limited by poor transport.
• Population
  • The nature of the British population has implications for the supply and demand for food and goods, as well as the supply of cheap labor.
  • The population had increased in the earlier part of the 18th century, especially closer to the middle of the era, and was mostly located in rural areas.
  • The people were gradually accepting of social change and the upper and middle classes were interested in new thinking in science, philosophy. and culture.
• Transport
  • Transportation and communication were comparatively easy and cheap, since no part of Britain is more than seventy miles away from the sea, and even less from some navigable waterway.
  • Canals were built in the rivers of Britain from 1760-1800 to allow ships to transport goods and for a quicker rate.
  • Railroads were also built to allow more efficient trade and transportation of goods.
  • Provincial ports had developed, such as Bristol and Liverpool.
• Trade
  • Britain had access to local and international economies because of their powerful Navy and other ships.
  • The British government allowed foreign trade and domestic to occur to expand the economy and grow industries.
  • The main market for British goods was Europe, and the government maintained a mercantilist policy to encourage it.
• Finance
  • By 1750, Britain had begun to move towards capitalist institutions — which are considered part of the development of the Revolution.
  • The produce of trade was creating a new, wealthy class prepared to invest in industries.
• Raw Materials
  • Britain had access to cotton from its colonies and could use slaves to collect it. As technology improved, cotton picking became easier and was a booming industry.
  • Coal, iron, lead, copper, tin, limestone, and water power were also readily available for the British to use for their industrial advancement.
• New Inventions:
  • A series of inventions in the eighteenth century increased the efficacy of each step of the production process.
  • They enhanced the output per worker, enabling each worker to produce more, and they made possible the production or stronger threads and yarn.
• A Stable Government/Stable Monetary System
  • All of these changes occurring in Britain were held together by its stable government.
  • There were drastic differences in the economies when comparing Britain to other European mainland countries.
  • The pound sterling was the national currency during the entire pre-industrial and Industrial Revolution time period time, and it is still the currency used to today in Britain.

Conclusion

Britain in 1870 had the following which has all been stated as necessary for an Industrial Revolution. Good mineral resources, growing population, wealth, spare land and food, ability to innovate, laissez-faire government policy, scientific interest, and trading opportunities, all of these began to develop simultaneously. The result was a massive change.

Topic: History of the world will include events from 18th century such as industrial revolution, world wars, redrawal of national boundaries, colonization, decolonization, political philosophies like communism, capitalism, socialism etc.— their forms and effect on the society.

2. The New Deal policies implemented during the 1930s and the economic effects of World War II both played important roles in mitigating the Great Depression. Elaborate. (250 words)

Difficulty level: Tough

Reference: Insights on India

Why the question:

The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 1.

Key Demand of the question:

To write about how the new-deal and the starting to world war-II ended the great depression.

Directive word: 

Elaborate – Give a detailed account as to how and why it occurred, or what is the context. You must be defining key terms wherever appropriate and substantiate with relevant associated facts.

Structure of the answer:

Introduction: 

Begin by defining The Great Depression.

Body:

First, write about Roosevelt’s New Deal – Works Progress Administration (WPA), the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) However, increases in government spending and expansionary effect on the economy., positive effects on consumer and business sentiment.

Next, write about the World War-II role in the recovery of the U.S. economy. Military build-up, expansionary fiscal and monetary policy, widespread conscription beginning in 1942, full employment.

Conclusion:

Summarise the impact of the above two in ending the recession.

Introduction

The Great Depression was the worst economic downturn in the history of the industrialized world, lasting from 1929 to 1939. It began after the stock market crash of October 1929, which sent Wall Street into a panic and wiped out millions of investors.

Over the next several years, consumer spending and investment dropped, causing steep declines in industrial output and employment as failing companies laid off workers. By 1933, when the Great Depression reached its lowest point, some 15 million Americans were unemployed and nearly half the country’s banks had failed.

Body

Background: Causes and aftermath of Great Depression

• Democrat Franklin D. Roosevelt won an overwhelming victory in the presidential election of 1932.
• During Roosevelt’s first 100 days in office, his administration passed legislation that aimed to stabilize industrial and agricultural production, create jobs and stimulate recovery.

• In addition, Roosevelt sought to reform the financial system, creating the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) to protect depositors’ accounts and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to regulate the stock market and prevent abuses of the kind that led to the 1929 crash.

New Deal by Roosevelt: Overview

• Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) : Among the programs and institutions of the New Deal that aided in recovery from the Great Depression were the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), which built dams and hydroelectric projects to control flooding and provide electric power to the impoverished Tennessee Valley region.
• Works Progress Administration (WPA), a permanent jobs program that employed 5 million people from 1935 to 1943.
• Social security: In 1935, Congress passed the Social Security Act, which for the first time provided Americans with unemployment, disability and pensions for old age.
• Recovery: After showing early signs of recovery beginning in the spring of 1933, the economy continued to improve throughout the next three years, during which real GDP (adjusted for inflation) grew at an average rate of 9 percent per year.
• A sharp recession hit in 1937, caused in part by the Federal Reserve’s decision to increase its requirements for money in reserve.
  • Though the economy began improving again in 1938, this second severe contraction reversed many of the gains in production and employment and prolonged the effects of the Great Depression through the end of the decade.

Role of World War-II in the recovery of the U.S. economy

• With Roosevelt’s decision to support Britain and France in the struggle against Germany and the other Axis Powers, defence manufacturing geared up, producing more and more private sector jobs.
• The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour in December 1941 led to America’s entry into World War II, and the nation’s factories went back in full production mode.
• This expanding industrial production, as well as widespread conscription beginning in 1942, reduced the unemployment rate to below its pre-Depression level.
• More people were needed to produce the food and weapons for the men on the front lines.
• The new jobs were taken by many who had been out of work for several years.
• As more men were sent away to fight, women were hired to take over their positions on the assembly lines.
• Before World War II, women had generally been discouraged from working outside the home.
• Now they were being encouraged to take over jobs that had been traditionally considered “men’s work.”
• Existing companies changed their lines from consumer goods to war materials, and new plants were constructed strictly for the creation of products for the war
• The Great Depression had ended at last, and the United States turned its attention to the global conflict of World War II.

Conclusion

The New Deal and the outbreak of world war II,  did eventually reform the American economic system. Roosevelt’s leadership preserved the country’s faith in its democratic political system. It also established him as a leader of democracy in a world threatened by ruthless dictators.

Topic: Salient features of Indian Society, Diversity of India.

3. Discuss the significance of preserving and promoting cultural diversity within Indian states. (150 words)

Difficulty level: Moderate

Reference: The Hindu

Why the question:

The article highlights the trend of imposing a dominant cultural narrative and language across states, neglecting regional languages, customs, and traditions.

Key Demand of the question:

To write about the importance of preserving and promoting cultural diversity.

Directive word: 

Discuss – This is an all-encompassing directive – you must debate on paper by going through the details of the issues concerned by examining each one of them. You must give reasons for both for and against arguments.

Structure of the answer:

Introduction: 

Begin by giving context.

Body:

First, write about the importance of cultural diversity – Advocate for the preservation and promotion of regional languages and customs, Emphasize the need for inclusive policies and cultural exchange and highlight the role of cultural diversity in fostering national unity. Cite examples to substantiate.

Conclusion:

Conclude with a way forward to improve the representation of women in the judiciary

Introduction

Cultural diversity is synonymous with multiculturalism. Multiculturalism is defined as, “the view that cultures, races, and ethnicities, particularly those of minority groups, deserve special acknowledgment of their differences within a dominant political culture.”

In the popular imagination, India is a spatial entity. It has a map, a shape—it is a piece of the earth cut out from the rest of the land on this planet, delimited by strict ideas about what is ‘inside’ and ‘outside’. Seen on that axis, India also has a temporal being. That India is vastly older, and the cultural-civilisational legacy it has bequeathed us is substantially more fluid in space. Its borders were shifting, its shapes protean, and the histories it created were marked as much by mobility and traffic as by sedimentation. That India is more a river than an island. We inhabit an amalgam of those two Indias today.

Body

Various aspects of India’s diversity

• India today is home to varied cultures and ethnic groupswith substantial differences in physical appearance, language, religion and customs.
• India also has vast economic differences between regions and its richest state is 10x more prosperous (on a per capita basis) than its poorest, with high-growth states and large metros at middle-income level resembling coastal China, and others more closely resembling Sub-Saharan Africa, with incomes under US$1,000 per capita.
• It is said that geography is destiny, and if this is true, then India’s land itself is a key determinant of the diversity of its peoples, varying from desert to savannah and rain forests, from the roof of the world to coastal swamps and tropical islands. 
• This geography, coupled with major urban centres and valleys of technology clusters, shapes its inhabitants daily lives and therefore their culture and beliefs.
• While ethnicity and religion form a core of each Indian’s identity, those identities themselves can vary widely depending on backgrounds, regions and socio-economic levels.
• Even within religions, there can be significant differences in how this is practiced and therefore how identity is defined.

Importance of cultural diversity

• Recognizing that there is a large amount of cultures that exist and Respecting each other’s differences
• Learning about other cultures helps us understand different perspectives within the world in which we live.
• It helps dispel negative stereotypes and personal biases about different groups.
• In addition, cultural diversity helps us recognize and respect “ways of being” that are not necessarily our own
• Acknowledging that all cultural expressions are valid
• Valuing what cultures have to bring to the table
• Empowering diverse groups to contribute
• Celebrating differences, not just tolerating them

Conclusion

This diversity and the pluralism it fosters have been a key strength for India, creating a vibrant and dynamic society that is open to new ideas, and quick to adopt and adapt innovations regardless of their origin, as well as creating a strong democratic polity with checks and balances on its leadership. If properly leveraged, India’s diversity is a fundamental strategic asset for the country’s development and standing in the world.

General Studies – 2

Topic: India and its neighborhood- relations.

4. To rebalance India-Nepal relations, both countries need to engage in constructive dialogue, foster trust, and address the concerns of each other. Analyse. (250 words)

Difficulty level: Easy

Reference: Live Mint , Indian Express

Why the question:

t’s encouraging to see the positive notes struck by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Nepal counterpart Pushpa Kamal Dahal, also known as Prachanda. The two countries have seen ties strain in recent years, but the visible cordiality between the two leaders suggests a definitive thaw in the proverbial ice.

Key Demand of the question:

To bring out the changing landscape of Indo-Nepal relation in light of recent developments between the two countries and need for rebalancing in their ties.

Directive word: 

Analyse – When asked to analyse, you must examine methodically the structure or nature of the topic by separating it into component parts and present them in a summary.

Structure of the answer:

Introduction: 

In brief, give a historical perspective of Indo-Nepal relations.

Body:

Present a timeline that depicts major events between India and Nepal and highlights the controversies around their relations. Elaborate upon the recent boundary issue as well the internal strife being witnessed in Nepal.

Discuss the underlying factors responsible for unchanging perspectives for each other. Bring out their impacts on the relations of the both countries. Discuss ties at different levels between the two – people to people ties, government to government ties, the China factor etc.

Bring out the present picture of the Indo-Nepal ties.

Conclusion:

Mention a way forward to recalibrate the ties and ensure mutual prosperity between the two countries.

Introduction

Nepal is an important neighbour of India and occupies special significance in its foreign policy because of the geographic, historical, cultural and economic linkages/ties that span centuries. India and Nepal share similar ties in terms of Hinduism and Buddhism with Buddha’s birthplace Lumbini located in present day Nepal. Over the past few years, we have been witness to the deteriorating India-Nepal relations. Reserves of goodwill which India had accumulated is fast depleting in Nepal.

Recently, Nepal’s Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda’s visited India and signed many bilateral agreements. During the visit, India and Nepal announced a series of projects focusing on highways, I-ways, and trans-ways, aiming to strengthen ties between the two countries.

Body

Need of a rebalancing India Nepal ties

• Nepal shares borders with 5 Indian states- Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Sikkim and Bihar and with free movement of people and thereby acting as an important point of cultural and economic exchange in India-Nepal relations.
• Nepal unveiled a new political map that claimed strategically important land Kalapani, Limpiyadhura and Lipulekh of Uttarakhandas part of its sovereign territory.
• The misunderstanding created during the constitution framing / Madhesi agitationchanged the entire gamut of relations between India and Nepal.
• Internal Securityis a major concern for India; Indo-Nepal border is virtually open and lightly policed which is exploited by terrorist outfits and insurgent groups from North Eastern part of India eg. supply of trained cadres, fake Indian currency.
• Nepal over the years has witnessed chronic political instability, including a 10-year violent insurgency, damaging Nepal’s development and economy.
• There is anti-India feeling among certain ethnic groupsin Nepal which emanates from the perception that India indulges too much in Nepal and tinkers with their political sovereignty.
• The establishment of diplomatic relations between Nepal and Chinaand its growing influence in Nepal has resulted in declining traditional leverage of India in Nepal.
• Overtime trust deficit has widened between India-Nepal because of the Indian reputation for delaying implementation of various projects.
• The Mahakali agreement has remained in limbo for over two decades. In 2008, the collapse of Koshi’s embankment unleashed massive flooding, highlighting India’s failure to take precautionary measures and its refusal to take responsibility.

Areas of Cooperation in the India-Nepal Relationship:

Challenges in India-Nepal Relationship:

Way forward

• On border issue:
  • The two countries have managed to settle about 98% of the common border.
  • More than 8,500 boundary pillars have been installed reflecting the agreed alignment.
  • As both countries are laying claim to the same piece of land, the time has come for both countries to sit for talks to solve this issue.
• Completion of the ongoing process of updating the 1950 Treaty of Peace and Friendship:
  • India must recognise that as in all other developing economies, Nepal’s aspirational young population is also looking beyond the open Indian border for opportunities, and its desire to turn his “land-locked” country into a “land-linked” country with a merchant navy must be considered positively.
• People-to-people inter-dependence must lead the relationship along with civil society and business-commercial level interactions.
• India’s major foray should be in innovation and technology transfer, multidisciplinary dialogues, educational and technical institutions, local and global migration management and skills and capacity-building.
• India needs to finish the infrastructure projects on time for instance Pancheswar project has been pending for over 20 years now.
• Nepal could be the fountainhead of climate change knowledge and connect to India’s larger dynamics of the management of the ecology of hills and mountains.
• Effective delivery on the pending projects, the remaining ICPs, the five railway connections, postal road network in the Terai and the petroleum pipeline so that connectivity is enhanced and the idea of ‘inclusive development and prosperity’ assumes reality.
• Negotiate diplomatically to resolve the boundary dispute with Nepal under the aegis of international law on Trans-Boundary Water Disputes.In this case, boundary dispute resolution between India and Bangladesh should serve as a model for this.
• India should maintain a policy of keeping away from the internal affairs of Nepal, while at the same time, in the spirit of friendship, India should guide the nation towards a more inclusive democracy.
• With its immense strategic relevance in the Indian context as Indian security concern, stable and secure Nepal is one requisite which India can’t afford to overlook.
• India needs to formulate a comprehensive and long-term Nepal policy.
• India should stop looking at Nepal purely through a security prism, and at bilateral relations only as transactional and part of a zero-sum game with China.
• Focus on working towards multifaceted relationships to the advantage of both nations.

General Studies – 3

Topic: Disaster and disaster management.

5. What are the potential consequences of climate change-induced migration? Suggest urgent actions needed to mitigate these challenges. (250 words)

Difficulty level: Tough

Reference: The Hindu

Why the question:

The article discusses the potential consequences of climate change on migration patterns in South Asia.

Key Demand of the question:

To write about the impact of climate change-induced migration and actions needed to mitigate it.

Structure of the answer:

Introduction: 

Begin by defining climate change-induced migration.

Body:

First, write about the consequences of climate change-induced migration – humanitarian crises, social tensions, economic disruptions, and political challenges. Cite statistics and examples to substantiate.

Next, write about the actions that are needed to mitigate the above – International cooperation, adaptation and resilience measures, sustainable development practices, capacity building and support, and climate change mitigation efforts.

Conclusion:

Conclude by writing a way forward.

Introduction

Extreme weather events and conflict are the top two drivers of forced displacement globally, together responsible for the annual movement of nearly 30 million people from their homes.10 There is a strong correlation between countries and regions most vulnerable to climate change and those that are fragile and/or experiencing conflict or violence.

Body

Climate induced migration

• By 2050, globally there could be 1.2 billion climate refugees.
• In South Asia, there have been over nine million internal displacements in 2020, making it the region having the highest number of new displacements due to climate change.
• In 2020, 95% of conflict-related displacements were reported in climate vulnerable

Potential consequences of climate change-induced migration

• Climate-related impacts may further stress vulnerable communities, increasing the risk of conflict and displacement in the absence of effective prevention efforts, and vice versa.
• Climate-related impacts also pose an increased risk to marginalized communities displaced by conflict related to the impacts of climate change. This risk is more acute in regions with weak governance and dispute resolution infrastructure, and in growing peri-urban areas where many migrants are heading.
  • Climate migration creates a multiplier effect on pre-existing threats such as overcrowding, and conflicts over resources sharing.
• Climate change can cause or exacerbate resource scarcity, which may drive conflict directly as well as induce migration of populations in vulnerable situations attempting to secure safety or livelihoods elsewhere.
• Moreover, changes to biodiversity have strong intersections with climate change that also can affect migration, and threaten food and economic security.
• The subsequent movement of large numbers of people, by force or by choice, brings new groups into contact with one another, potentially shifting power balances, causing further resource scarcity, or igniting tensions between previously separated groups.
• Where climate-related migrations occur within or near population centers, or in locations important for political or economic stability, such as within many nations’ coastal zones, the destabilizing forces associated with climate change may result in outsized affects overall.
• Climate displacement results in job losses, food insecurity, and an overall overcrowding of resources, creating further migration and incurring other social and economic costs.
  • Changes in agricultural patterns and water availability force people to migrate to urban areas. Such rural-urban migration overburdens cities that already operate at capacity.
• Inadequate policy frameworks to manage large migration flows may exacerbate resource inequalities, stress public budgets, and contribute to xenophobia that increases political tensions.
• Anti-immigration political actors may seize on both real and perceived challenges of uncontrolled or large migration flows to improve political standing, inflaming existing tensions and undermining efforts to appropriately respond to acute migration or refugee crises, such as those caused by the Syrian civil war or extreme weather and violence in Central America

Challenges and inaction

• Despite the alarming magnitude of climate displacement in the region, responses from governments and international agencies have been inadequate.
• Most countries in South Asia lack comprehensive policies to address climate displacement, and international aid has been insufficient to meet the needs of affected communities.
• Missed targets of climate funding also hold back developing nations from financing their climate goals and building resilience.
• Building climate-resilient infrastructure and improving disaster preparedness are essential to support adaptation and mitigation measures.

Urgent measures required

• The importance of improving resistance and resilience by introducing sustainable solutions such as adopting salinity-resistant crops, making coastal areas resistant, and strengthening infrastructure will be deterministic.
  • Such structure gaps need to be corrected to ensure that communities are not forced to
• The underlying economic reasons of poverty and poor infrastructure play a crucial role in the efficacy of a climate adaptation method.
• Further, governments in the region must develop targeted policies that address the specific needs of climate-displaced communities.
• Apart from developing resilience, policies should focus on providing alternative livelihood opportunities and social protection programmes to help affected communities cope with the impacts of climate change.

Conclusion

Policymakers can usher the economies of affected countries towards green and resilient pathways by pursuing far-sighted action to avert distress-driven migration and harness climate-induced migration to foster economic and demographic transitions. Such policies require investments in human capital to support the next generation in productive and sustainable climate-smart jobs.

Topic: Challenges to internal security through communication networks, role of media and social networking sites in internal security challenges, basics of cyber security;

6. While India needs to enhance its cybersecurity capabilities, focusing solely on building cyber weapons for deterrence may not be the most prudent approach. Critically Examine. (250 words)

Difficulty level: Moderate

Reference: ft.com , Insights on India

Why the question:

A criminal gang with Russian-speaking members has carried out a widespread hack that has compromised the personal data of tens of thousands of employees at major British companies. The hack is expected to extend to the United States, affecting more victims.

Key Demand of the question:

To debate if India should its increase cyberwarfare capabilities to achieve deterrence.

Directive word: 

Critically analyse – When asked to analyse, you must examine methodically the structure or nature of the topic by separating it into component parts and present them in a summary. When ‘critically’ is suffixed or prefixed to a directive, one needs to look at the good and bad of the topic and give a balanced judgment on the topic.

Structure of the answer:

Introduction: 

Begin by defining cyber-warfare.

Body:

In the first part, mention the various kinds of cyber weapons – Viruses, phishing, computer worms and malware, distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, hacking, spyware or cyber espionage, ransomware and propaganda or disinformation campaigns etc.

Next, argue the impact Cyber warfare can have on our country. Substantiate with examples. Aruge for building cyber armament directly by the state.

Next. Argue on the other side as to unconventional nature of cyber warfare, lack of proper accountability and training etc.

Conclusion:

Conclude by passing a judgement on whether or not India should to work towards building cyber warfare deterrents.

Introduction

Cyber warfare is computer- or network-based conflict involving politically motivated attacks by a nation-state on another nation-state. In these types of attacks, nation-state actors attempt to disrupt the activities of organizations or nation-states, especially for strategic or military purposes and cyber espionage.

Body

Various types of cyber warfare and attacks

• Spyware: Pegasus, a spyware was in news and according to WhatsApp, the spyware was deployed on at least 1,400 targets, including lawyers, activists, dissidents and diplomats. The Pegasus spyware is also known to have been used against several Indian journalists and activists.
  • Sensitive information was extracted from the target users’ phone.
• Denial of Service: Saposhi Malware is capable of taking over electronic devices and turning them into bots (device taken over by malware) which can then be used for any purpose, including DDoS attacks which, with enough firepower, can cripple entire industries.
  • It overloads the server, rendering it non-responsive.
• Ransomwares: It is a type of malware that prevents users from accessing their system or personal files and demands ransom payment in order to regain access. Eg: WannaCry, Petya
  • This can have a serious harm to critical government infrastructure and its data security.
• Hacking: It can occur through phishing, spam mails that mask virus as executables or exploiting a badly written code in the software
  • Using old Operating Systems: Eg : ATMs with windows XP became vulnerable to network spoofing.
  • Cyber-warfare leading to states attacking the information systems of other countries for espionage and for disrupting their critical infrastructure.
    • Monitoring web to trace people in touch with terror operatives is needed for national security. Eg : Operation Chakravyuh by IB
    • Targeting nation’s nuclear installations. Eg: breach in Kundakulam nuclear power plant.

Measures needed to combat cyber warfare

• A Defence Cyber Agency could be the first step the government plans to for critical infrastructure and military networks that are increasingly becoming dependent on the Internet, thus increasing vulnerabilities.
• The Defence Cyber Agency will work in coordination with the National Cyber Security Advisor. It will have more than 1,000 experts who will be distributed into a number of formations of the Army, Navy and IAF. According to reports, the new Defence Cyber Agency will have both offensive and defensive capacity.
• Equally important is cyber propaganda. During the Doklam conflict, China tried its best to unleash cyber propaganda on India and indulged in complex psy-ops
• Critical cyber infrastructure needs to be defended and the establishment of the National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre(NCIIPC) is a good step in this direction
• Individual ministries and private companies must also put procedures in place to honestly report breaches. It is only then that the NCIIPC can provide the requisite tools to secure these networks. This partnership must be transparent and not mired in the usual secrecy of intelligence organisations.
• The upgrading of the Defence Cyber Agency to a Cyber Command must be implemented at the soonest.
• A robust ecosystem must be built to secure India from acts of state and non-state actors, including protocol for grievance redressal in international forums.
• Better capabilities must be built to detect and deflect attacks.
• The computer emergency response team (CERT) must be strengthened and aligned with military and foreign affairs operations.
• Building a joint task force between the government and key technology players will be crucial.
• The government should push for the creation of a global charter of digital human rights.
• A national gold standard should be created, which ensures that Indian hardware and software companies adhere to the highest safety protocols
• Impart cybercrime investigation training and technological know-how to the various law enforcement agencies.
• Cyber awareness must be spread and there should be multi-stakeholder approach- technological inputs, legal inputs, strengthening law enforcements, systems and then dealing with transborder crime involves lot of international cooperation.

Conclusion

India must develop core skills in data integrity and data security fields, to ensure protection of user data as well as security of critical infrastructure. Expertise of the private sector must be leveraged to build capabilities. Meanwhile user awareness is equally necessary to prevent them from becoming victims of cybercrime.

New foundation for a global law on cybersecurity must be laid. It will help in guiding national legislation or policy against cybercrimes. Cyber-Deterrence must be ingrained in the policy on cybersecurity with both defensive and offensive approach.

Value addition

Examples of cyberwarfare

• In 2020, the United States (US) department of defence (DoD) exposed an information-stealing malware, SlothfulMedia, which they said was being used to launch cyberattacks against targets in India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Russia and Ukraine.
• The most notorious example is that of the misinformation campaign conducted by Russian bots during the 2016 US presidential elections.
• Societally, sowing disinformation through social media disinformation is also cyberwarfare. Russia has been particularly savvy in this field but recently, China has stepped up its game.
• Intellectual property (IP) rights are another avenue of strategic competition — in 2014, the US justice department indicted five Chinese military hackers and accused them of stealing secrets from US Steel, JP Morgan, Alcoa, Westinghouse Electrical Co., and United Steelworkers.
• Military cyberattacks are perhaps the most associated with cyberwarfare — the “Sandworm Team”, a group associated with Russian intelligence, has conducted attacks on government sectors in the US, Ukraine, Poland, and on the European Union and NATO.
• A well-documented cyberattack occurred in 2010 when a malware “Stuxnet” that was designed to damage Iran’s nuclear capability by making Iranian scientists and government think there were a series of internal engineering mishaps at their enrichment facility.

General Studies – 4

Topic: Contributions of moral thinkers and philosophers from India and world.

7. For Mahatma Gandhi, trusteeship was indeed more than just an economic expedient or a temporary solution. He viewed trusteeship as a fundamental philosophy and a way of life that encompassed his entire worldview and approach to society. Comment. (150 words)

Difficulty level: Moderate

Reference: mkgandhi.org

Why the question:

The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 4.

Key Demand of the question:

To explain about the trusteeship of Mahatma Gandhi and its aim of protecting dignity of beings over materialism.

Directive:

Comment– here we must express our knowledge and understanding of the issue and form an overall opinion thereupon.

Structure of the answer:

Introduction:

Start by defining the core idea of trusteeship philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi.

Body:

Further elaborate the concept of trusteeship with examples from Gandhian times to contemporary times. Gandhi’s economic ideas were part of his general crusade against poverty, exploitation against socio-economic injustice, and deteriorating moral standards.

He wanted to liberate the modern economic philosophy from the quagmire of materialism and bring it to a higher spiritual plane. Human actions were motivated by social objectives of the protection of human rights.

Conclusion:

End the answer by stressing the need and importance of trusteeship in present times.

Introduction

Trusteeship is a socio-economic philosophy that was propounded by Mahatma Gandhi. It provides a means by which the wealthy people would be the trustees of trusts that looked after the welfare of the people in general. Gandhi believed that the wealthy people could be persuaded to part with their wealth to help the poor. Trusteeship is not merely a principle not even a philosophy. His idea of trusteeship needs to be revisited in today’s times of growing inequality.

Body

Gandhiji’s doctrine of Trusteeship

• Gandhi’s economic ideas were part of his general crusade against poverty, exploitation against socio-economic injustice, and deteriorating moral standards.
• Gandhi was an economist of the masses and his approach was rooted in human dignity.
• His pragmatic approach gave a new direction to the existing socio-economic problems in the process of protecting human dignity.
• Gandhism as a socio-economic philosophy suits not only to accomplish the higher ideals of democratic freedom and socialism but it was also thoroughly developed to meet the challenge of national and international forces of communism and capitalism.
• The core of Gandhian economic thought is the protection of the dignity of human person and not mere material prosperity.
• He aimed at the development, upliftment, and enrichment of human liferather than a higher standard of living with scant respect for human and social values.
• Fundamental ethical valuesdominated his economic ideas. He wanted to liberate the modern economic philosophy from the quagmire of materialism and bring it to a higher spiritual plane.
• Human actionswere motivated by social objectives of the protection of human rights.
• He based his doctrine of trusteeship on the first sloka of Isopanisad, according to which one is asked to dedicate everything to God and then use it only to the required extent.
• The principal condition laid down in it is that one must not covet what belongs to others.
• In other words, in the first instance, everything must be surrendered to Godand then out of it one may use only that which is necessary for the service of God’s creation, according to one’s strict needs.
• This makes it clear beyond doubt that it is not in industrial and business sectors only that the doctrine of trusteeship is to be made applicable.
• The spirit of this doctrine is detachment and service. Unless these two virtues are inculcated, it is impossible to obey the command “covet not anybody’s riches.”
• Therefore, Gandhi’s idea of trusteeship arose from his faith in the law of non-possession.
• Man’s dignity,and not his material prosperity, is the centre of Gandhian economics. Gandhian economics aims at a distribution of material prosperity keeping only human dignity in view.
• Thus, it is dominated more by moral values than by economic ideas.
• According to Gandhi, trusteeship is the only ground on which he can work out an ideal combination of economics and morals.

Relevance of trusteeship in contemporary world:

• The revolutions that are raised from time to time in different countries are motivated by the same objectives of human dignity, justice, and equity.
• It is very clear that the idea is relevant today as it aims at the social, economic, and political changes in the world.
• One of the first steps to achieve this human dignity, justice, and equity is to eliminate the ever-present troublesome element of class struggle in the society.
• Though the Gandhian concept of trusteeship does not seek to destroy any particular class, it provides us with an idea of how to narrow the class gap.
• The practice of all the democratic nations has been to reduce the gap between the rich and the poor to a minimum.
• In India we find this motive behind our cooperative policies, the community development projects, and the taxation policy that heavily taxes the upper class and gives some relief to the lower strata of society.
• We find the manifestations of the Gandhian concept of trusteeship in these policies.

Conclusion

The philosophy of Trusteeship believes in inherent goodness of human beings. The Gandhian perspective is more relevant today than it was ever before. Gandhi wanted to ensure distributive justice by ensuring that business acts as a trustee to its many stakeholders, and specified that economic activities cannot be separated from humanitarian activities. Economics is part of the way of life which is related to collective values.

Join our Official Telegram Channel HERE

Please subscribe to Our podcast channel HERE

Subscribe to our YouTube ChannelHERE

Follow our Twitter Account HERE

Follow our Instagram ID HERE

Follow us on LinkedIn : HERE